Peek a boo

Isn't this the coolest photo. This morning when we woke up there was fog on the valley floor and big heavy clouds in the sky and the peaks in the middle.

Bailey's Award

This morning they had an Award Assemble at the High School for academics. We went and are so proud of Bailey and how hard she works at her grades. She is awesome!

This is not a flash back.

What a bummer!!! Bailey spent a year and a half in braces in the 6th and 7th grade. She has BEAUTIFUL teeth. Well she has been being treated for TMJ this last year. We went to Pocky yesterday and they told us her jaw has healed great. She has no more pain and feels really good, but now since they moved the jaw back to where it is suppose to be her teeth no longer touch. So we started braces AGAIN. Hopefully she will move quickly, and the Dr. wants her to move fast because of her roots. So we will see how long this takes. She is a trooper. We amazingly got into the Orthodontist today and she is hurting tonight. It is all coming back to her. It will be worth it though!

Missionary Work in Action

If you have read other post you have got the jest of what is going on here. On Saturday we got a phone call from a Sister Cotrell who is on her mission with Dalan. She was calling from the Visiting Center and wanted to get some phone numbers from us of people Dalan wanted to refer to the missionaries. We took the names and told her we would call here right back. We got Dalan's phone out and looked up the numbers and call her back. It was so fun to talk to her. She and Dalan had been in the same district in his last area. She said that Dalan is a great missionary but you have to watch out for him because he is a prankster. We all laughed. We asked her if she would like us to call her parents for her. So we did. She is from Kaysville Utah. It was great to talk to her mom. It is such a connection to talk to anyone who knows anything about the Mesa Arizona Mission or Elder Lerwill. Today we got Dalan's e-mail with the update which is way exciting but when we came home this evening we had phone calls from the Visiting Center in Mesa and our missionaries here. We called our missionaries back and they were planning on going to visit one of the girls. Then just barely I got a phone call from Sister Cotrell to update us. She and Dalan are so excited that 3 of people responded positive. She said that Broc was going to come to the VC and Dalan had permission to teach the first lesson to him and then the Phoenix Missionaries would take over. I gave her the update here. It is so fun to catch their spirit. She was still going to try and get a hold of the other people that Dalan had referred.

Photo's

Elder Paiz and Elder Lerwill
Clothspins in their nose, something stinky in the heater vent. Yuck

Dalan e-mail 1-25-11

Hello how are things going therefor you all? sounds like good and white! haha, i just finished talking to Daniel Davis! he is doing great! The tractor front looks so good! cant even tell that any thing was wrong with it! i can see the pics but i cant see them big because the computers dont have the right program downloaded? so its kinda small but it works! thanks a ton! it good to hear that all the family there is doing good and staying busy! thats way cool that Jeff talked to some one that i have worked with! I dont know anything about it but you will have to let me know who it was when you find out! :)


Things are going really well here, it has been a crazy week but it has been good! Thank you so much for giving those phone numbers to sister cottrell! i gave them to her and told her to call. she is awesome. she said that you had a good visit! This has been such a good experience to be able to think of and pray about a few ppl from back home and then give those numbers on and give them the option to have missionaries over. Sister cottrell called me this week and she has only got a hold of 2 of them and they both accepted!! she first got a hold of Sam Boyer and they had a really good talk and she agreed to have the elders over and share the message with her! and then she called and left a message on Sarah Smiths phone and then a few mins later she called her back and she said that she would like to learn more about what i am doing out here and so that has been awesome! also when she gets a hold of Broc, i got permission for him to come the VC and i can teach him the first lesson! i am so excited about that, it will be such a amazing experience! so it has been so exciting to do this and give them that opportunity! :) when she said that i was coming to VC that night it was to teach a lesson in one of the teaching rooms there! the spirit is always so strong there and there are lots of great tools to help ppl learn!

I am starting to get the area down little by little! it always takes some time but things are coming along really well! we have set a couple dates this week and they are all really solid! one guy his name is David Jordan and his family got bap a year ago and he wasn't ready, had some things that were holding him back but he called us one night and asked us to come over to his house as soon as we could and so we rushed over there thinking something was wrong, but he through open the door and was like, Elders, I am ready to get baptised! haha it was so sweet and he is so solid, he set his own date and has printed out invitations to the baptism! he will be getting baptised on Feb 12th!

We are also teaching this lady named Ester, she is 85 years old and is really struggling with her health but all in all she is in good shape! she is so nice and i love going over and visiting with her! such a sweet heart! she will be getting baptised on March 6!

We have a few other ppl that we are teaching that have dates and are progressing so the work is going really well! Tons of help and support from all the members and ward!

This past week we had our ZDM meeting with our zone. this is the meeting where we have our interviews with president! me and elder paiz super busy planning that all out and getting assignments out and organized, but it went great! in my letter i will send you today i will send you the out line of the meeting and also a copy of our training! kinda fun! there has been some mishap in the zone this past week so it has kept us on our toes! some elders got in a fight with their neighbors and had to move out of their apt so we had to help them do that for a part of a day because they are on bikes. and then we had a elder riding his bike down the road and wasnt paying attention and ran into the corner of a real estate sign and it tore off part of his nose and up his cheek...so we were in the emergency room until midnight! fun fun right! haha, lots of stitches but alls good, he'll live....hopefully! ;) so it sure has been eventful! :)

I use my GPS all the time! it is such a wonderful tool and helps a ton! we have it mounted in our dash and it talks to us! kinda fun and is great for finding referrals! :) thanks so much for that!

Being a zone leader president has given us the opportunity to go onto mormon.org and make profiles! that is such a wonderful website! there are so many questions that can be answered through it and is great to just check out! for a family home evening you should get on and make a profile. you have to be over 18 and have your record # to make a profile then it just walks you though all the steps! then they have to read through it all and make sure it is appropriate and there is no false doctrine then they post it! i am not sure if mine has been approved yet but search for it! i am just under Dalan, so search that! :) Great missionary tool.

So things are going really good here me and elder paiz are doing awesome and having a blast! Love the members the area the zone and all the wonderful investigators we are workin with! i will have sister cottrell keep you all in contact with what goes on with the ppl back home but i am really excited about that! she gave both sarah and sam my address cause they wanted to write me and i feel that they will be receptive! so that is exciting! :)

Thank you so much for all you do for me and all the love and support i have coming from there! time is flying faster and faster everyday! hard to believe! give everyone there my love and appreciation! keep up the good work there and be safe! have a wonderful week and ill talk to you all soon! Thanks

Love,

Elder Dalan Lerwill

Bailey's Grades

One Semester down!! Yeah! Bailey did so great, we are proud of her.

World Issues A-
Biology B
Algebra A
Study Skills A
Spanish A-
English A
P.E. A-

3.7286 GPA

This is what a parent waits to hear! The best payoff!

Dalan wrote this letter home on January 4, 2011. A tear jerker for us as his parents. Here is a portion of it.

But I sure have had a lot on my mind lately and I just want to try to express some of my feelings to you two (and Bailey cause I am sure she is listening;) You really take for granted what you got until you realize how good you had it! I am so appreciative for you and all that you have done in raising me the way you have. For me being your first and having never done it before you are amazing! I am sorry for all that I put you through and stress I have caused. Even through it all, you have all been there for me bad/good no questions asked, I know that I can turn to you and you'll be there. That is some thing that I have always known and really means a lot to me! Thank you so much for living your lives in such a way that you can recognize the promptings of the spirit and for having the courage to follow them, even though it was hard on us both and it usually ticked me off, I am positive that you saved me from a lot of trouble, spiritually, and physically. I can remember many nights laying in bed so excited to move out and not have to listen to you and be on my own. But now the more I am on my own, the more I am realizing how inspiring you are. You have set an amazing example for me. I admire you all so much! When I tell people that I have only seen my parents verbally fight once, and that one time was faked to make a point, they don't believe me. When I tell them that I can only remember a handful of times that we haven't had family dinner together, they can't believe me. You are so inspiring to me. I want to model my relationship with my wife and my home for what ours is! All the stupid, pointless, bull crap rules you enforced in the home, will someday be enforced in mine! You two are my hero's and I really look up to all of you and the shining examples you are! Our family is truly unique, I have been so blessed! Thank you so much for making it all possible and always supporting me in what ever I have decided to do through out all the years. Because of your support I have learned and grown from my experiences, not always the easiest way to learn, but it is what had to happen in order for me to get where I am today! I love and miss you all a ton! I wish I had more time to sit and write but I need to get to bed! You all have a good one and take care of your selves, be safe, stay healthy! I am so thankful for the Gospel and a eternal family. You're awesome! Keep on keepin on!:) Talk to you all soon!
Love you tonz,
Elder Dalan Lerwill

I am not sure what we did right, and I know we stumbled our way through this journey of parenthood, but wanted to have this letter in print so I am putting it in our family history book, this blog. I know that we were blessed with two special spirits right from our loving Heavenly Father. I am so thankful that he answered my prayers and let me stay on this earth and raise them, with the most wonderful husband. I feel so blessed and I love my family so much.

Letter from President Ellsworth

January 6, 2011

Dear Brother and Sister Lerwill:

We are pleased to inform you that your son, Elder Dalan Lerwill, has been called to be a Zone Leader.

We are grateful for Elder Lerwill's faithful diligence while serving in the Arizona Mesa Mission. A zone leader is responsible for the spiritual welfare and productivity of every missionary in his zone. I count on a zone leader to assist the missionaries in his zone in all aspects of missionary work. A zone leader must be an exemplary missionary, demonstrating leadership capacity, utmost obedience, expertise in teaching, and the ability to inspire and lift the other missionaries in the zone.

A zone leader is a vital component in the success of the mission. The opportunity to serve as a zone leader will provide your son with many experience to learn and grow as he strives to fulfill his calling.

Thank you for raising such a fine son and for  your support of his missionary effort. Positive and uplifting letters from home, encouraging him in his responsibilities will strength and inspire him.

Sincerely,

R. Spence Ellsworth
Mission President

Stacy and his brothers

Before Christmas Stacy got to help his brother Ryan with a project. They had such a great time together. Ryan had bought a snow blower and they converted it to go on his skidsteer. They did a great job and enjoyed having to figure things out. Ryan worked on it a long time and did a great job.

Then also before Christmas, Jeff came up and him and Stacy worked in the shop one night, making some shelves for Jeff's boys. They now can hang all their metals on the cool elk antler hooks, and put their trophy's on the top shelf. I will have to get a picture and add later. Stacy had a great time working with both of his brother's.

I Want Off the List!!

O.K. are you asking yourself what list I want off of. Well the Senior Citizen List, I guess. I already feel old but this makes me feel even older. My kids think it is so funny that I get all kinds of mail for hearing aids and social security. I have even called the social security office a few years ago to make sure they had all the right information and they did. Don't know how it happened but I am on the list.... Today I got an offer to help me and my family with the winter driving and walking by looking into the River Rock Assisted Living in Jackson Hole Wyoming. Stacy thought it was quite funny, ha ha, I am not laughing. I am really not that old!

1-18-2011 E-mail

Hello! it is so good to hear from all of you there and the new and exciting things happening with you all! Thats cool that you are getting the tractor fixed and building cabnets for the down stairs! that will look great and help alot with being organized and neat, you will have to keep me informed with some pics! sounds like you are getting lots of snow there and it is keeping you all busy and on you feet. those winter roads are defently a challange, be careful! :) There has been lots of new stuff happening here so i will try and fill you in in a organized manner! :)


This week has been really crazy! running around like crazy, planning zone meetings, trying to get to know a new area, meeting lots of new people and teaching alot! my area is awesome! the members are incredible! we cover 4 wards the Elmwood, Harris 1 and 2 and Grandview wards, and they are all so missionary minded! they go out and make visits to our investigators and non members every week and set up apts for us, in members homes, with new investigators! so amazing! i havnt worked in a area that is so proactive till now! it is amazing and things are going to take off even more! I am back to full english again, it is way different and kinda sad to leave behind, so many wonderful people! but alls good and i am being so blessed! i love the wards, the zone and my companion! his name is elder paiz, pernounced pies, he is from south jordan Utah, he has been our 22 months so i will send him home in 2 transfers! crazy, that will be the 3 companion that i have killed! but he is awesome and wont get trunky. super solid missionionary and we are working really well together!! having lots and lots of fun! being a zone leaders isnt much different but there is alot of prosiliting time that is spent running around from missionarys to meetings to supplies and there and back! haha, kinda crazy, so ya it is a little different to not be able to pay full attention to just my area! but it is way sweet! we have a sweet zone, there are 18 of us and for themost part they are all awesome missionaries! its awesome because i get to know them all alot better that if i were just a regular missionary so that is a fun thing! i went on exchanges last night with one of the district leaders, elder peirsen, he is from canada and we came out together so it was alot of fun! he is a spanish elder so i got to go back to mexico! :) there are so many hispanics down here it is crazy! some parts of Mesa are 98% brown! it is prety crazy. my area now is in the northern end of the zone and so it is a little bit more upper end homes and people so it makes the work a little bit more difficult but the members make up for it! :) its awesome! we live in the upstairs of a members back garage. it is really nice and i will give you our addresss so you can google it and see! that will be kinda fun for ya. still send my mail to the mission home though please! thanks a ton. i got your package this week! thanks, it made my day! i love all the monkey butt stuff! thanks bailey! :) and i have been listening and enjoying the cassette! so thanks for that! my address is 1640 E Jensen, Mesa AZ 85203! You mentioned in the cassette somthing about bishop coming down for spring training and that would be awesome! president is way awesome about stuff like that so just give him presidents phone # and then call him and he will get him my phone and we can get something set up! but ya that would be alot of fun!!

One of my WML's is brother Rudd and i got asking him if he is realted to any of the Rudds in Rexburg and he said yes then i asked him about Melvin and he said that it was his 2 cousin of nephew or someing!? but you will have to let him know that i have his relitive as a ward misison leader! :) Small world!

Brother Butlers baptism was amazing! i got a call from elder hiatt on sunday and he said that the rest of the family is geting baptised on the 5 of Feb, so i will be able to go back for that! :) so exciting! also the Huertas family will be getting bap in my last area here soon so i will go ing for that one too! :) awesome to see! our area is doing good here and we are workign wiht alot of people and will be seeing lots of good stuff coming together here soon!

I also found out today that i will be shopping at the same walmart so i wont have to switch locations! :) one more thing i wont have to mess with! :) but everything went well with the move and i only forgot one thing! did pretty good! :) haha

All the citrus is on the trees and ready and our front yard is full of oranges and grapefruit so i having been eating a lot of it and it is so good! the members we live with have a huge back yard and green grass! grass is a rareity here and only those who have the time and money have it! it was way fun to get here and lay in grass! :) but things are going really well and i am loving it up! there is so much to take in and so much i am learning! Growing every day! there is nothing that i need now, i am doing well on every thing and taken care of! the only thing i could use is a few more pretty girls to write me...so keep that in mind! haha ;)

I hope and pray that all is going well there for you all and you are having a wonderful January! it is almost over can you blieve that!? time is flying by! give everyone there my love. i apreciate all that is sacrificed and done for me! sorry i havent been very good at writing everyone back but there are never enough mins. in a day! but you all are in my prayer and hope the very best for you! keep safe and healthy! I love and miss you tons. have a wonderful week and take care!

Love Elder Dalan Lerwill

Swans

These are such amazing animals. We love looking at the swans at the river every year. I always wonder how they don't just freeze to death. Look how big their feet are and to think that these amazing birds can also fly!

Great People

Hello parents of Elder Lerwill,


My name is Sandy Braddock and I have been a surrogate mom while he was
In our area. Sweet boys!
I took some pictures that I would like to send you.
He is doing well. It was pretty cool to see him baptize Bro. Butler.
Know that he is well taken care of.
The pictures,
1st one – My husband Bill, your son, and Elder Hiatt.
2nd one – Your son, my husband Bill, and me, right before I am to get my hair cut. And I have been babysitting so I am pretty tired. Ughh.
The other pictures were Christmas day, while waiting for dinner to start, he caught a few winks. Awwww.
The kids I am babysitting for a week and I put together a care sack for him for his new area. (apple, sunflower seeds, popcorn)
He has been so fun.
Sincerely,
Sandy Braddock

E-Mail 1-11-11

Hello how are you all doing!? is so good to hear from you all and how things are going there in the white oasis of Idaho! haha, the weather has been wonderful here this week! blue skys, no wind and staying right in the mid 60's day and night! pretty nice! Sounds like dad needs a new gun to help keep the shop clean! sounds like a farm expence to me... :) good to hear that bailey is doing well on her finals and is enjoying skool. will she be skiing for winter sports? it is so crazy that it is that time of the year again. i am way jelous of dad...so he better be havnig fun!


WOW it sure has been quite the eventful week here! lots of unexpected things and changes, haha! first off we had a awesome weekend, Brother Butler got baptised on Sunday! it was such an amazing baptism! there was so much ward support and love. the whole family didnt all get bap because they are still getting over coffee, but brother buter was going to get baptised weather we wanted him to or not! he was so excited and so ready! after the whole family seeing their dad get baptised and feeling the spirit they are all alot more excited and ready! the rest of them will be getting baptised in 2-3 weeks! so exciting! he had asked me to baptism him and it was such a sweet expirence! he came up out of the water and gave me a big huge and cryed! it was way sweet to be with him after in the dressing room! to hear him talk about how he felt and his testimony! the whole service was amazing! at the end bishop invited him to stand up and bare his testimony andit was so powerful! he had everyone there crying! it was aweosme! :) there was about 50 ppl there, it was way full, tons of support! Ill send pics!

The next big news is that i am getting transfered...my least favorite thing aboout the mission. its exciting to go some where new and meet new ppl and get a new companion but it freakin sucks to leave all the amaizng people that i have grown so close too. but alls good! This transfer has been kinda shock for me because i really thought that i was going to be the one staying, but i had no idea. i am getting transfered to more central Mesa. i am not sure exaclty where my area lays but i know that the zone covers south to North from the 60 to Mckellips and then around Stapley RD. thats about all i know so far! haha, transfers are tomarro so i have been busy packing up all my junk and getting ready! saying good byes and eating alot because every one wants to feed me before i leave! haha. I am going to be a zone leader with elder piaz! he is a really good missionary! i served around him up north so we already know each other and we are really excited! i am a little nervous about it all but it will great! It was saturday at 5:00 that president called me to ask me if i would do that and it really shocked me! haha! it will be good and i am excited! I will be in a car so that will be really nice as well! :) i feel really good with what has happend here in the salt river stake in the past 3 months and believe that things will pick up even more! elder hiatt will do great and is excited to be taking over his first area! :) we have 9 people that are solid and schedualed for baptism coming up in the rest of january and febuary and he will do great! i will be able to come back and be a part of the baptisms when that time comes so that makes leaving a little easier! lots of amaizng people, miricles, and memories here, sad to leave but i will some how love my new area just as much if not more! exciting times for sure! :)...so that is about all that is new here haha! and i am excited for it all!

I will have to transfers all my perscriptions over to a nearer Walmart! shouldnt be a big deal at all but i wont have the time to get my perscriptions filled today! but i am good for a while so alls good! :) thank you so much for all that you have and are doing for me and making it all possible! what a amazing expirence this is and it cannot be found or bought any where else! so thank you! I love and miss you all so much, but i am doing really well! i hope that you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the snow and all the fun activites that come along with it! haha. love you all a ton! have a good one!!

Love,

Elder Dalan Lerwill



Elder Hiatt, Brother Butler, Elder Lerwill



E-Mail 1-4-2011

Hello! how is everything going there?! :) hope all is well and youare enjoying the wonderful weather there! things have changed here this past week! it has been getting down into the low 30's! really unheard of... we finally had to turn our AC over to heat! pretty crazy, on wedsday it actually snowed here!! none stuck but it was falling from the sky! it was really cold and the wind was blowing so it made it even worse but it was so fun to see some white stuff! everyone has been telling us that it hasnt done that sence 2001! we got some pics of it so i will try and send some of those! :)


On saturday me and elder hiatt, cornilles, crawford, rowbury, and green got up really early and drove to scottsdale and hiked camelback mnt! it was crazy sweet! hard hike and really steep, my legs were a little sore and my foot started to hurt again but alls good! we got some amazing pics from up top! you can see everything from up there! so thats what we did for our new years day fun! we had a great time! elder Crawford almost didnt make it to the top just from not being in too good of shape but we all made it! georgous sun rise and morning! it was a bout 27 degrees when we left the car! havnt felt that in a long time! :) haha

This week has been pretty crazy! there has been lots of stuff that has been happening and keeping us on our toes. i just got a phone call from the ap's a few mins ago and they were asking about the area and concidering spilting in again and making 1 full set of Spanish and 3 full sets of English just in our stake! crazy if they do but we are teaching enough that it is very possible and would probley work! we are being so blessed! we find out transfers this saturday and then transfers will be on wed. so it will be another crazy week! who knows what all will happen!

the butlers were all sick on sunday with the flu and so they couldnt go to church so we will have to push their bap back one week, but hopfully we can get them better and they still can be interviewed this week so they can be ready to go the following week! they are doing really great! Alma and her whole family was at church again this past week! they are doing awesome and all have a bap date for the 22nd of January! way exciting! :)

we had kinda crazy expirence the other night! we were pulling back into our apt at about 9 and there was 8 cop cars, ambulance, and a fire truck all parked in front of our apt with cops running everywhere so we had to park some where else! as we were getting back to our apt we seen some one go out to the ambulance ona streacher. come to find out later that a drug deal went bad and there was a fight that broke out and we wernt sure what all happend but they had our whole apt swarming with cops and people hand cuffed everywhere! there were some guys running drugs out of the apt just across and above us! but not any more! haha so alls good!

I dont think i told you all this but like 4 weeks ago i found out that a lady that i had taught when i first got to the area in our apt complex had OD'ed on Heroine and died...so sad to see some ones life totally dictated by a drug! it is a powerful thing and 90% of everyone that i teach that is on Drugs at the time says that it all started really inosently and they never would have imagined it getting to the point where they are! prettysad to see! Small and simple...

I got my new montier in the mail! thanks for that, i love it! :) when i get test strips next week i will be sure and let you know if everything works out good! I am sure that it will! :) thanks a ton!

So me and elder hiatt have been going to the temple and making phone calls for the VC to confirm all the referals that we have got from xmas lights and yesterday when we were down there elder hiatt decided that he needed some new garments so we went over to the distribution center and we were getting everything and looking through all the options and we both decieded to try somehting new...we both got one piece garment! haha they are hilarious!! im not so sure that i am compleatly sold on the whole idea but we'll see! we both couldnt stop laughing when we changed into them! haha good times!

so ya things are going really well here! lots of blessing and wonderful ppl we are working with! thanks for all you emails and the information and has been passed on to this part of the world! i love and appreciate all you there and all that youdo for me! I will get some pics sent after this email! hope you enjoy! i cant believe how much wes andkaties kids are growing up! crazy how time flys! hope you all have a wonderful week and are safe and stay warm! i love and miss you all a ton and pray for you always! have a good one and take care!

Love

Elder Dalan Lerwill

Christmas Card from First Presidency

Christmas Card from Mission President's Family

post card of Nativity at temple

Elder Cornilles, Elder Hiatt, Elder Lerwill

Elder Cornellis, Elder Hiatt, Elder Lerwill

Elder Cornellis, Elder Lerwill

Elder Lerwill, Elder Hiatt

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

Bailey, Stacy, Verna, and I celebrated New Year's Eve by playing Monopoly. Yes we got our behinds kicked again by Stacy. Maybe he should have went into the Real Estate business. We had a great time. Wes, Katie, and the kids showed up at our house right after midnight. We had a great time with them. We didn't do a whole lot, but just eat, watch t.v. and go to church on Sunday. They went home Monday morning. Macie did get to play in the snow. She was so worried that the snow would melt. (I wish)
We hope and pray that 2011 is great for ALL of us!